Consumer Solo
Building an ambitious consumer startup as a one-person team
Finding Community while Going It Alone
The last time I went into an office as an officially “employed” person was in late 2016. Since then, I’ve been freelancing as a software developer while building my indie startup. Working from coffee shops, visiting friends’ offices to borrow their WiFi, and taking the occasional in-person meeting at a client’s office. It’s been a lot of chaos and about as much flexibility as anyone could ask for (if not a little too much).
All the while, my goal has been to turn my own project into a full-time sustainable business. That transition is feeling increasingly imminent and I’d like to document the process as it unfolds.
The Project: Happyfeed
In 2013 I launched a gratitude journal app called Happyfeed. After many iterations, it has evolved into a photo-sharing platform, but the core concept persists — a place to reflect on positive memories every day. It’s my focus when not working with clients.
As of today (May 2023), Happyfeed is generating about $1900 MRR through paid subscriptions in the App Store. I’ll likely switch to full-time when that number is in the $5-10k range.
Consumer Solo
My writing here will focus on a less-common overlap of two very common concepts within startups and entrpreneurship:
Consumer startups: Companies building products for a consumer audience, e.g. Lyft, Airbnb, and Duolingo.
Solo founders: Products built by a single developer or designer, often bootstrapped with the goal of being acquired or selling to a larger company.
Let’s break down these ideas a bit more. 👇
Choosing B2C over B2B
Most of the content online for bootstrapped founders is aimed at b2b SaaS (business-to-business software as a service) companies. Solo consumer founders (i.e. “b2c” business-to-consumer) are often seen as naïve or doomed to fail. This comes down to simple math: b2b companies can charge over $100 per month for a product and b2c companies commonly charge a few bucks a month. Is it easier to a few hunded customers or 10,000?
Influencers in the industry aren’t shy to share their opinions here. If you already listen to Rob Walling on The Startups For the Rest of Us Podcast or guests on the Indie Hackers podcast, you’ll notice this is common advice. I don’t disagree with their points (consumer CAN be harder), but regardless, many of us are still inclined to go b2c and I’m here to help, support, and encourage those who can’t resist the challenge.
Why consumer products?
It’s more fun to build for people. It’s undeniably compelling to build a product that your friends and family might use. You’ll get the chance to talk to customers about how your product can improve their life, not just their business.
You can have a greater impact. There are over 1 billion people with iPhones and the App Store creates a channel to reach all of them. Consumer products can shift habits and drive culture.
Product-driven. B2b founders spend half their time on sales. With less revenue per user, b2c marketing requires more creativity and inherent growth loops. Ultimately, growth and revenue come from solving a problem with the product.
I’ve spoken to many successful consumer founders, but they typically don’t share as much as b2b founders because it has less upside and similar downsides. B2c founders don’t sell directly to other founders and many of their followers on Twitter could easily become competitors if they realized how lucrative their niche is.
Regardless of what you may hear, Solo consumer founders can have more fun and still build meaningful, money-making businesses.
Not All Solo Indie Developers
Indie developers approach building products in dozens of different ways. Some attempt to create 12 products in 12 months, others are trying their luck at a viral AI product, while many sell guides and courses or create paid communities. The term has become so broad, that “Indie Developer/Hacker” is hard to define anymore.
I subscribe to a very specific approach to building products. If the following concepts appeal to you, then you might be interested in subscribing:
Bootstrapped: Not because I care about owning the whole business, but because I worry about misaligned incentives and timelines from large investors.
Consumer Focus: Primary emphasis on the consumer → building a product that delights users rather than squeezing the most value out of each signup.
Niche Audiences: Start with a small, passionate group and grow from there. Save “boiling the ocean” for VC-backed founders.
Ambitious Ideas: If you’re attempting to make a real impact, you can’t be afraid to experiment and try the occasional “crazy” idea.
Growth Minded: Even with a focus on delighting users, I’m still measuring everything I can. Tracking metrics isn’t the driving factor but is an important tool to make sure you’re moving in the right direction.
Patient Approach: We’re all jealous of the overnight successes. Too many apps that hit #1 in the App Store fade into irrelevance just as quickly as they emerged. I believe that real value is built over time. Vanity metrics can be bought.
Each of the qualities above might become a standalone post as I build out content in this space. I fully expect that they will evolve too. When they do, I’ll be sure to explain my thoughts and be sure to leave a trail explaining how I got from point A to point B.
Example Topics
Product Philosophy: From methods of communicating with customers to planning out new features, I’ll dig in on my approach to building products.
Planning & Strategy: With a team of 1, time is your most valuable asset.
Founder interviews: To offer varied perspectives, I’m hoping to chat with founders who fit most of my criteria above. I’d prefer diverse opinions when possible, so fitting 4 or 5 out of 6 would be fine!
Trend Reactions: Whether it’s crypto, AI, or ✨community✨, there’s always a new trend in tech. What should you ignore and when should you dive in?
Mindset & Challenges: Going it alone can be lonely, exciting, stressful, and rewarding. What might be a dream for some (no boss 🎉), comes with plenty of challenges.
Life Sustainability: Whether it’s sustaining your lifestyle through taking on freelance work, or finding ways to create sustainable relationships, this is a constant struggle in the “solo” world.
Tools & Tips: I’ve been doing this for 10 years. There might be a trick or two that will save a newbie a bit of stress. Potential topics include ASO for Beginners, Basics of SEO, how to survey users, or working with a tiny marketing budget.
Into the Weeds v. Out of the Woods?
The best advice tends to come from people who are in the process of actually making tough decisions. Everything becomes simpler in hindsight. However, it’s challenging to find tips that aren’t given after the fact — founders are too busy dealing with the business.
Wouldn’t it have been interesting to hear more of Kevin Systrom’s and Mike Krieger’s thought processes in the early days of Instagram? (Though I’m not saying I’m building the next Instagram, …probably.)
That’s my goal here: sharing my thoughts and struggles as I try to build something meaningful. Emphasis on try.
Likeminded Founders
My other goal is to get to know other founders/builders/designers who share my approach to creating products and companies. Substack feels like a more reliable place to build up a community than Twitter these days, so this is also a little experiment for me.
Many years ago, I started writing on Medium to discuss broad topics covering work in technology including Thriving in Ambiguity and Full-Stack Designer. While it’s fun to get philosophical on work, life, and the concept of balance, I’ll try to stay on topic and lean toward practical, super actionable, advice.